Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2013
Nurse-initiated analgesia pathway for paediatric patients in the emergency department: a clinical intervention trial.
The study aims to evaluate the impact of a nurse-initiated analgesia pathway (NIAP) intervention for paediatric patients in the ED. ⋯ The NIAP significantly reduced time to analgesia. It was associated with high levels of parental satisfaction.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2013
Exploration of the perceptions of emergency physicians and interns regarding the medical documentation practices of interns.
The primary objective of the present study was to learn the factors that influence the documentation practices of ED interns. A second objective was to identify the expectations of emergency physicians (EPs) towards the medical record documentation of ED interns. ⋯ The lack of formal training is an impediment to the production of useful medical records by ED interns. One solution proposed by both interns and senior personnel was the introduction of the subject into intern education programmes.
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Although the role of the ED in the management of patients needing palliative care is recognised internationally, there are little Australasian data on this issue. This study aimed to determine the current knowledge and attitude to the provision of palliative care in Australasian EDs. ⋯ Although limited by the low response rate, this survey indicates that there is a need and a desire for greater integration of the values and standards of high-quality palliative care in Australasian EDs.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2013
Effects of emergency department Care Coordination Team referrals in older people presenting with a fall.
The study aims to describe the characteristics of patients presenting to an ED with a fall and evaluate multidisciplinary Care Coordination Team (CCT) referrals on patient outcomes. ⋯ Maturing of the CCT is associated with a decrease in representation and readmission rate. Over time, the CCT attended higher urgency patients associated with stable admission rates. These associations were not significant and the clinical effectiveness of ED CCTs requires further examination.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2013
Tick bite anaphylaxis: incidence and management in an Australian emergency department.
Ticks are endemic to the eastern coastline of Australia. The aim of the present study is to describe the incidence of tick bites in such an area, the seasonal and geographical distribution, the incidence of anaphylaxis due to tick bite and its management. ⋯ We report 34 cases of tick bite anaphylaxis over a 2 year period at a single hospital in a tick endemic area. The variation in the presenting symptoms and signs, as well as in management highlights the need for increased awareness for tick bite management in tick endemic areas.